What A Nice Surprise

After a full year (all of last summer) of no air conditioning in my car I was startled by the air conditioner working when I nonchalantly turned it on last Sunday when the weather was beautiful-warm and I was leaving the Garden Center after buying garden soil and a few new plants for the garden .

What a Delightful feeling of cool air !!!  

And, I do not have any idea of why it has started to work  properly.  Even with a refresher course on the Internet on how Automobile Air Conditioning works I still do not completely understand all the complexities of the systems .  To give you an idea --- "Air conditioning is the process by which air is cooled and dehumidified .  Basically, air conditioning systems operate on the principle of evaporation and condensation.  The principles of evaporation and condensation are utilized in your car's A/C system by a series of components the are connected by tubing and hoses.  There are six basic components :  Compressor -  Condenser - Receiver-Drier - Thermostatic Expansion Valve - Evaporator - Refrigerant ."

It is a mystery to me !  Let's hope it continues to work !

The weather has been wonderful - - - for the most part .  We have been having beautiful sunny days and then a day of rain .  Work days in the garden are kind of hit and miss .  The main thing I have to pay attention to is that I don't leave my garden tools outside and they get rained on .  I have been outside quite a lot pulling weeds and general clean up .  I am able to work for about two to three hours when I go out .  Everything is starting to look very nice .  With all the winter rains the plants are really flourishing .  And, the addition of soil amendments for the horrible clay soil is making a big difference and improvement .  I will post some photos when I have a chance to wander through the garden looking for photo ops .

Easter is upon us and the blogs are filled with beautiful photos and ideas for decorating and meal preparations .  Even though my limited physical endurance would make it challenging to prepare a nice Easter celebration I certainly miss the activity .

Happy Easter Week To All .

Mary

Have You Eaten Buffalo

Recently I was invited to my neighbors home for dinner on a Sunday afternoon. She prepared a Buffalo Roast and it was very good.

It was a really nice dinner of grass fed, rich and slightly sweet bison roast, braised until tender and juicy, nestled in a bed of many fresh organic vegetables like asparagus, carrots and mushrooms. Additionally, she served twice baked potatoes and a few side dishes. Her seasonings for the roast were exceptionally nice for a very lean meat. Red wine was a great accompaniment.

I didn't think it was appropriate to photograph so this is a google photo which looks very similar.

We had a nice visit and got to know each other. She travels a lot with her work and is not home very much. Additionally, she has two other homes, Tahoe and Napa Valley.

It was a fun evening and dinner was lovely.

I hope you had a good weekend.

Mary

An Autumn Day

It's a rather cool day following a very rainy day yesterday. There still are some flowers blooming like White Chrysanthemums, Gardenia (who would think at this time of year) and also a White Azalea. I am surprised to see White Paper Narcissus bulbs that I planted in the garden last year starting to peak through the ground. As a gardener, it is always fun and exciting when something new in the garden starts to surface. Later, there will be tulips, lilies and daffodils.

As I sit here I can watch through the windows the leaves from the many oak trees softly drifting down from great heights as the trees are very tall. It is a very pleasant gentle sight especially if I clear my mind of future garden maintenance.

I think it is time to put the kettle on in preparation for a nice cup of tea. I am sure I can locate a flavor that will match this beautiful sunny Autumn day. Wish you could join me.

Thanks for coming by for a visit.

Mary